Editorial: Restore full funding to Great Lakes rescue initiative

President Barack Obama promised unwavering support for the restoration of the Great Lakes. Absent that, we need members of Congress to step into the breach.

That's exactly what a bipartisan group of 46 House lawmakers, including six from Michigan, are attempting in asking Congress to reject the White House's proposed cuts to a Great Lakes cleanup fund.

Last month, the Obama administration proposed cutting the budget for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, which cleans pollution and restores fish and wildlife habitats, from $300 million to $275 million, a 9 percent cut.

The members, including 37 Democrats and nine Republicans, sent a letter to the committee considering budget funding. Lawmakers adding their names to the letter include Reps. Sander Levin, D-Royal Oak, and John Dingell, D-Dearborn, Dan Benishek, R-Crystal Falls; Gary Peters, D-Bloomfield Township; John Conyers, D-Detroit; and Dan Kildee, D-Flint.

It's not often that White House budget encounters prominent opposition within its own party, but the stakes here far outweigh party loyalty, and for good reason.

A $25 million cut in times of austerity might seem a small price to pay, but the Great Lakes are of incalculable value to the states on its shores, not just as an ecological treasure but as a vital economic asset to the region.

The lakes provide drinking water for more than 30 million people and generate an estimated 1.5 million jobs for lakes-related industries.

The Obama administration created the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative in 2009, and kicked it off with a $475-million allocation, which dropped to $300 million a year after that.

Last year, the initiative survived a proposal from a House subcommittee to cut its funding by 80 percent, although across-the-board sequestration cuts later reduced the allocation to $285 million. Environmentalists had hoped to see the funding restored this year.

And it should be.

Since 2010, the initiative has funded the cleanup of 43 "toxic hot spots" around the lake - places where industry or agriculture pollution imperiled marine life or tainted drinking water.

The initiative has been an indispensable weapon in efforts to stop invasive species, prevent beach closings and preserve fisheries. It provides funding to support the Great Lakes navigation system, including for dredging, maintenance and repair of breakwaters and lock upgrades.

In all, the federal government has spent $1.3 billion on more than 1,700 projects, proving we can, if we remain resolute, restore and protect the lakes for generations. Disruptions in funding, however, disrupts the momentum of those efforts. That's unacceptable.

It's also unacceptable that a president who hails from the Great Lakes region would voluntarily put some of that funding at risk, sending a signal that protecting the lakes is open to compromise.

The health and well-being of the Great Lakes are inextricably linked to that of the communities on their shores. Compromising either is unacceptable.

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Editorial: Restore full funding to Great Lakes rescue initiative

President Barack Obama promised unwavering support for the restoration of the Great Lakes. Absent that, we need members of Congress to step into the breach.